M.A. Journalism Studies Emphasis
About the Program
The M.A. in journalism with a journalism studies emphasis concentrates on the news media as an academic discipline that focuses on the nature and effects of journalism in a global society. Students explore international media models, media law, ethics, digital media, journalism history and the effects of media coverage on contemporary societies around the world. This 33-unit program is an alternative for students who are interested in pursuing a doctoral program and entering academia rather than in acquiring the professional skills offered in the skills-oriented option.
The school’s rich assortment of courses that survey international journalism makes Journalism Studies an attractive option for students interested in the role of global news media.
Curriculum
The option is very flexible, and programs can be tailored to meet your career goals and personal interests. Besides the journalism courses listed below, you are encouraged to enroll in relevant courses in colleges, schools or departments outside the School of Journalism (with permission). Several graduate students in journalism, for example, usually enroll in the Mideast Media course offered by the Department of Middle Eastern and North African Studies.
Course Requirements
You must complete a minimum of 33 units, including a thesis, to graduate. The curriculum consists of four required courses, three highly recommended courses and four electives. Full-time students can complete the requirements in two years.
No 400-level credits will be accepted toward graduate degrees. All course work will be based on graduate-level work. Credits earned in the 500-level section of a co-convened course (400/500) will be accepted toward graduate degrees.
Required Courses
- Complete four courses (12 units)
- You can choose to complete either a master's project (JOUR 909) or thesis (JOUR 910)
This course introduces graduate students to the major theories related to the critical study of the media. Fieldwork may include publication of conclusions. Requirements include a major research paper.
Basic legal concepts for media in an international and U.S. context, including access to courts, public records and meetings; subpoenas and shield laws; prior restraint; libel; privacy; source confidentiality; intellectual property; obscenity; and broadcast regulations.
Students will be exposed to qualitative and quantitative research methods, such as historical and legal research, media analysis, content analysis, in-depth interviewing and discourse analysis.
Individual study or special project or formal report thereof submitted in lieu of thesis for certain master's degrees.
Research for the master's thesis (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or thesis writing). Maximum total credit permitted varies with the major department.
Highly Recommended Courses
- Complete 9 units
- Some courses are offered only occasionally
Analysis of ethical theory and how it relates to journalists' roles and responsibilities in a democratic society. Case studies involve questions of bias, accuracy, privacy and national security. Graduate-level requirements include a research paper examining a major ethical issue and providing a critique regarding how the media covered the issue.
Plus a global course from list of electives.
Electives
- Complete 12 units
- Some courses are offered only occasionally
- Other courses in journalism or outside the School may be taken with permission
This course analyzes the history of Latinxs in the United States. Students also examine the history of Latino-oriented, Spanish-language and bilingual news media, as well as news coverage of Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S.
This course introduces the study of migrations, diasporic transnationalism and the media in Latin America. Students examine historical perspectives and contemporary trends in migrations from Latin America to Europe, Asia and North America (South-North) as well as migration news within Latin American (South-South).
In today’s world, it is difficult to imagine media separate from technology, given how intertwined the two are. This course examines this intersection and influence of media over technology, and vice versa, in a little more detail. Specifically, this course delves into the various facets of this intersection and relationship and what that means in terms of the media people use, the technology they use and the kind of discourse and society they create as a result of digital affordances and advances. Students explore topics such as media and technology as democratic tools and/or instruments of power, theories related to media technology and learning about different media systems and emerging technological systems prevalent in the global North and South. Students will delve into the importance and influence of social networks at a deeper level than what they may already be familiar with, how WhatsApp is increasing in influence and almost representing the digital global divide, the issue of disinformation and fake news and how advances in artificial intelligence may well influence the future of media.
This course investigates the history and coverage of acts of state and nonstate terror, the interplay between terrorism and societies around the world and media content about acts of terror. Students explore how news media portray terrorism and terrorists, the effects of terrorism and media portrayal of terrorism on the public and the use of propaganda by terror groups and other entities.
From human health to vanishing species, climate change is one of the major challenges facing people around the world. A vast majority of scientists agree that human-made climate change is a major factor threatening the planet’s future, but they worry that measures to stop or modify climate change are not taken seriously enough. What role do media play in this respect, and what role can they play in the future to communicate climate science and alert people of the challenges? How can media connect people’s everyday experiences to the global climate processes? Our exploration of different types of media will take us on a global odyssey into how media portray the problem, its causes and effects, what the future holds and what can be done.
This course surveys the history and functions of social justice media from the 19th century abolition movement to today’s online forms of global social justice journalism. Students consider the theoretical and practical frameworks of social justice media, which serve a swathe of social movements involving human and civil rights, education, labor, immigration, globalization, feminism, environmentalism, ethnic and racial equality, transgender rights and global inequity.
Students explore ethics questions related to cultural bias, political and economic pressure, diverse representation, accuracy, privacy, national security and other pressures on news media. This course provides students with a framework to think critically about media’s obligations to the public. Analyses examine ethical philosophies as they relate to both citizen-driven media and journalists’ roles and responsibilities in various societies and governmental systems around the world.
Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association and movement, and rights to public information among other rights are explored in global, regional and country contexts. This course provides historical, philosophical, legal, political, societal and cultural perspectives about values related to online and offline freedom of expression and access to public information in a global context.
This course examines the rapidly shifting arena of armed conflict and political violence in an intensively and expansively mediated era. Students explore traditional journalistic business, culture and ethics in covering war and the more recent impact of technological transformations, focusing on new digital and social media forms employed by multiple actors and stakeholders.
This course examines how the global broadcast, print and digital news media cover major environmental news and issues around the world and how journalists’ investigations have led to change. The course also highlights the complicated nature of environmental reporting, including interacting with myriad stakeholders, assessing risk, interfacing with scientific uncertainty and racing against deadlines and extinctions.
Students learn of the role and responsibilities of national, transnational and social media in promoting human rights and cultural understanding and in documenting human rights violations at varying levels, such as government oppression, civil or political turmoil, armed conflict, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Conversely, the course also examines the role of human rights instruments and monitoring in protecting media workers and rights to free expression.
This course explores the concept of disinformation and theories of propaganda to contextualize contemporary issues in cases around the world. Also covered are the spread of online misinformation and disinformation, the growing issue of information security in open and closed media ecosystems, public receptiveness to correcting misinformation and disinformation, surveillance tactics targeting journalists and tools for verifying information in text, images, video and audio.
In this course we will explore science disinformation, misinformation, the media, and the public. We will begin by examining the hallmarks of science (as compared to pseudoscience and non-science) including the concept of falsifiability. Next, we will discuss the “public understanding of science” and why it is important. We will also study historical examples of science mis/disinformation including the ill-informed 19th century theory of climatology called “rain follows the plow,” the early twentieth century eugenics movement, the Andrew Wakefield autism/vaccine controversy, and other instances of pseudoscience or non-science masking as real science. You will learn about the science of science communication and why people are vulnerable to science mis/disinformation. You will read about and discuss modern problems that impact our understanding of science including the use of pre-print servers where scientific information that has not yet been peer-reviewed is published. We will discuss why some members of the public do not trust experts and expertise and you will learn for yourself hallmarks to look for in distinguishing scientific experts from non-experts. You will also learn how to speak to science deniers and others who question the reliability and accuracy of scientific information. You will cultivate scientific habits of mind and develop a toolbox of tips, tools, and skills with which you can arm yourself against science dis/misinformation.
The documentary genre has long focused on social, cultural, political, economic and environmental issues. This course begins with a selective overview of the history of documentary journalism beginning in the 1920s, then takes a multicultural global perspective of documentary work by comparing and contrasting efforts from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the United States.
This course will take you on a global journey through the law of digital communications, including but not limited to free speech v. hate speech, intellectual property, defamation, privacy, the right to be forgotten, access to information, media regulatory mechanisms and frameworks promulgated by governmental bodies, as well as those regulatory mechanisms and frameworks used by non-governmental bodies (such as the platform “law” concept used by Facebook and Twitter.) You will learn about comparative historical and theoretical legal concepts important to media professionals and responsible digital citizen-scholars.
Students examine the role and responsibility of global news organizations and citizen-based social media in reporting on humanitarian crises that may stem from natural disaster, climate change, the impact of globalization, conflict or social upheaval. This course explores the dynamic interaction among news producers, relief organizations, policymakers, the public and those directly affected by humanitarian crises.
This class will examine the law of digital communications, including but not limited to freedom of expression and information online, cybersecurity, intellectual property, cooperation/collaboration, libel, privacy, hate speech, FCC and other regulatory mechanisms. This course will teach you how to follow the current law as you engage with digital communications, such as the Internet and mobile devices. While you will learn historical and theoretical foundations of the law of digital communications, you primarily need to concern yourself with making professional, ethical, and legal decisions as a citizen about digital communications, in an international context. From issues ranging from Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street to cyberbullying, we will think about the long-term implications of digital communications law and our decisions. Graduate students will write a research paper on an access issue, minimum 25 pages double-spaced (best papers are 25-40 pages) worthy of conference presentation.
Analysis of ethical theory and how it relates to journalists' roles and responsibilities in a democratic society. Case studies involve questions of bias, accuracy, privacy and national security. Graduate-level requirements include a research paper examining a major ethical issue and providing a critique regarding how the media covered the issue.
This class covers the law, history and philosophy of access to government information, as well as practical tools and psychological techniques in acquiring data from agencies and the internet. Students will build the knowledge, skills, and confidence in information acquisition to apply to their careers and personal life, including backgrounding individuals, exposing dangers, and even buying a house.
Science is one of the most powerful forces of change in the world. This discussion course introduces students to the professional, legal, economic and ethical factors that affect the science news agenda and the work of science journalists. We'll study the principles of science journalism, the scientific process and the differences between science journalism and science communication. We'll examine reporting methods used by print, television and online news organizations. Guest speakers -- prominent science journalists and scientists -- will explore the ways in which science news both reflects and influences the attitudes of the public and policymakers. Readings, case studies and discussions will look at issues of balance, scientific uncertainty, accuracy and ethical codes for science journalists. Graduate-level requirements include longer response papers and a longer research paper.
Students will gain an understanding of best practices and challenges specific to reporting in the borderlands, and will conduct research in and about the border region, including interviews with area residents. They will report findings in the form of essays, oral histories, research projects and in-depth reporting projects. Graduate students are expected to take on a leadership role in the class and from time to time will be assigned to lead class discussions. Graduate students may also be assigned additional readings and duties, such as increased research, writing, and organizing responsibilities.
Suggested Schedule
Below is a suggested schedule to ensure a logical progression from course to course, based on when courses are usually offered. A few graduate elective courses are also sometimes offered in winter and summer sessions. See the full list of courses for more information.
First Year
Fall Semester
- JOUR 508 Journalism Theory and Practice (3 units)
- JOUR 539 Ethics and the News Media (3 units)
- Elective (3 units)
Spring semester
- JOUR 509 Media Law and Ethics (3 units)
- JOUR 589 Research Methods (3 units)
- Elective (3 units)
Second Year
- JOUR 909 Project or JOUR 910 Thesis (3 units)
- Electives (up to 12 units)